AIG Women’s Open
The AIG Women’s Open, long known by many fans as the Women’s British Open, is one of the five major championships in women’s golf and one of the most global tests on the LPGA and LET schedule.
The 2026 championship brings the world’s best players to Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England, a demanding links venue famous for its pot bunkers, firm-running turf, opening par 3, and major championship history. Royal Lytham has already produced memorable Women’s Open champions including Annika Sorenstam, Catriona Matthew, Georgia Hall, and Sherri Steinhauer.
As the final women’s major of the 2026 season, the AIG Women’s Open should bring together elite shotmakers, proven links players, rising global stars, and major champions chasing the closing major trophy of the year.
🏌️ Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club — Lancashire, England Par 72 • 6,585 Yards • Historic Championship Links
Royal Lytham & St Annes offers a classic links test where bunker avoidance, trajectory control, patience, and precise iron play matter more than pure power. The course is not the most visually seaside of the Open rota-style links, but its firm turf, railway-side routing, deep pot bunkers, and changing wind make it a complete championship examination.
Quick Course Overview
Royal Lytham is one of England’s most historic championship links courses. It has hosted the AIG Women’s Open several times and returns in 2026 for another major championship test on a layout known for punishing small mistakes.
Course Type / Conditions
- Traditional Lancashire links layout with firm fairways and exposed wind
- Deep, strategic pot bunkers guarding landing zones and green complexes
- Opening par 3 creates immediate pressure before a demanding early stretch
- Weather can shift the course from scoreable to survival golf quickly
What Matters Most
- Bunker avoidance off the tee and into greens
- Low-flight control when the wind turns across the routing
- Lag putting and touch around firm links surfaces
- Major patience through difficult par saves and awkward lies
Key Holes / Momentum Stretch
- The opening par 3 sets an immediate tone with no easy warm-up hole.
- The middle stretch rewards players who position the ball properly instead of chasing every flag.
- The closing holes demand disciplined tee shots, smart approaches, and calm short-game execution under major pressure.
Winning Formula
- Stay out of Royal Lytham’s most penal pot bunkers
- Control ball flight in wind and avoid short-side misses
- Convert birdie chances without forcing shots into tucked pins
- Handle the final-round pressure of the season’s last women’s major
AIG Women’s Open
2026 AIG Women’s Open
Tournament Details
Date: July 30-August 2, 2026
Location: Royal Lytham & St Annes, England
Field: 144 international players
Final women’s major of 2026.
Tournament DetailsAIG Women’s Open History & 2026 Championship Guide
2026 AIG Women’s Open
Upcoming Major
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
International field of 144 players
$10 million purse
50th staging at a historic links venue
2025 AIG Women’s Open
Recent Champion
Royal Porthcawl, Wales
Yamashita won at 11-under par
First AIG Women’s Open victory
Set up 2026 title defense at Royal Lytham
2020s AIG Women’s Open Champions
Modern Major Era
Global Championship Winners
Lydia Ko won in 2024 at St Andrews
Lilia Vu won in 2023 at Walton Heath
Ashleigh Buhai and Anna Nordqvist also lifted the trophy
Royal Lytham Women’s Open History
Past Lytham Champions
Historic Lancashire Links
Georgia Hall won at Royal Lytham in 2018
Catriona Matthew won there in 2009
Annika Sorenstam and Sherri Steinhauer also won at Lytham
Tournament Format
Major Championship Structure
144 Players Compete
72-hole stroke play format
Top 65 and ties make the cut
Smyth Salver awarded to low amateur completing 72 holes
Royal Lytham & St Annes
Championship Links Venue
Lancashire, England
Known for precision, patience, and bunker avoidance
Course Details:
Par 72, 6,585 yards for 2026 championship setup
Qualifying Path
Road to Royal Lytham
Pre-Qualifying & Final Qualifying
Pre-Qualifying: Delamere Forest, July 13
Final Qualifying: St Annes Old Links, July 27
Exemptions plus qualifying complete the field
Tournament History
Notable Winners
Women’s British Open Legacy
Annika Sorenstam won at Royal Lytham in 2003
Georgia Hall delivered a famous home win in 2018
Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, and Miyu Yamashita headline recent champions
The AIG Women’s Open Legacy
The AIG Women’s Open has grown from its Women’s British Open roots into one of the most important major championships in women’s golf. It now brings together elite players from the LPGA, LET, JLPGA, KLPGA, amateur ranks, and qualifying routes for a truly international championship field.
The 2026 championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes adds another layer to that history. Royal Lytham has already been the stage for major Women’s Open moments, including Georgia Hall’s emotional 2018 victory, Catriona Matthew’s 2009 win, Annika Sorenstam’s 2003 title, and multiple Sherri Steinhauer triumphs.
Royal Lytham’s test is different from a target-golf setup. Players must control spin, flight the ball under links wind, avoid deep bunkers, accept awkward bounces, and stay patient when the course refuses to offer easy recoveries. That makes it an ideal venue for identifying a complete major champion.
As the AIG Women’s Open celebrates a landmark 2026 staging, CaddyBytes will follow the field, course-fit storylines, round-by-round momentum, highlights, and the final chase for the Women’s British Open trophy at one of England’s classic championship links.